


deadly nightshade

by fleeting_fantasy



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, Asra (The Arcana) - Freeform, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Gender-Neutral Apprentice (The Arcana), M/M, Male Apprentice (The Arcana), Multiple Endings, Other, Tarot, hanahaki, julian devorak - Freeform, past present future reading
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 08:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14930838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleeting_fantasy/pseuds/fleeting_fantasy
Summary: He stared at the damp flowers on the ground. Some torn, others incomplete, though mostly full blossoms. Asra licked his lips and swallowed down the feeling of looming death. He wondered if this was a curse he had put on himself in the form of both a trial and of heartache. He pressed a hand to his chest, closing his eyes as he felt the stem of the plant that took root inside his heart and grew inside his lungs slowly expanding with every passing day, and by this point, the plant was almost mature and would surely kill him, whether with the poison of the nightshade itself or through suffocation; Asra wasn’t sure of which one he’d face.





	deadly nightshade

Pulling the burgundy scarf over his face, Asra’s eyes remained hidden from public view in the shadow of his hat. Another festival in town today... and another day without you by his side to enjoy the experience with him. Asra felt his mouth get dry and throat clenching as the familiar feeling of bile welled up inside of him. He scooted off to the side as quickly as he could, startling Faust as he slid into the alley to cough up what slowly took over his lungs. His hands went to his mouth, hacking and wheezing as the amount of belladonnas that spilled onto his hands, few dripping onto the floor in front of him. Asra heaved and swallowed, looking at Faust who slid onto his arm. He knew she was deeply worried, and rightfully so.  _ Pain? _ Faust’s head tilted as she squeezed Asra’s arm tight.  _ Sick... _ She whispered, flicking her tongue affectionately, trying to comfort him. Asra offered Faust a gentle smile filled with sadness as he tossed the deadly nightshades onto the ground. His voice was a little weak, but he pushed through regardless “Yeah.. it’s not getting any better. At this point my only option is...” Asra shook his head and pulled the scarf backup, pushing Faust inside his cloak. “You’ll be fine, whatever happens. I promise.” 

He stared at the damp flowers on the ground. Some torn, others incomplete, though mostly full blossoms. Asra licked his lips and swallowed down the feeling of looming death. He wondered if this was a curse he had put on himself in the form of both a trial and of heartache. He pressed a hand to his chest, closing his eyes as he felt the stem of the plant that took root inside his heart and grew inside his lungs slowly expanding with every passing day, and by this point, the plant was almost mature and would surely kill him, whether with the poison of the nightshade itself or through suffocation; Asra wasn’t sure of which one he’d face. There was no way to remove the flower by unnatural means... and it was very unlikely that he would be able to get rid of it anyways, especially as his lovesickness stemmed from the profound relationship with Julian you got yourself caught in.

Forcing himself to sever the thought in its tracks, Asra gruelingly left the alley to climb up the stair and avoid as much eye contact and suspicion as possible. His feet shuffled across the bricks, letting his body move with the energy of the crowd. He found himself slowing down considerably as he approached a venue that was common for a travelling merchant. There was a strong sense of magical influence around the luxurious colors that Asra decided it was a good idea to take a look as a way to distract himself, as by this point, he only awaits the inevitable. 

“You seem to be in need of some guidance.” The voice muttered thoughtfully behind the tent’s curtain, muffled behind the fabrics but crystal clear in his ears. “Come on in... I can’t bear to see a young fellow like yourself suffering in such a way.” The fabric flew open, forces tugging him inside the dimly lit stand. He stumbled onto the plush pillows, almost being forced down, and at this point didn’t have the strength to combat it.The being behind the table seemed amused, though cloth covered all of their body with the exception of their piercing eyes and a lining fabric across their mouth and nose. 

Asra’s shoulders slumped in defeat and Faust climbed out slowly, flicking her tongue in their direction.  _ Magic.  _ She hummed. Asra noted she didn’t look on edge, and let her climb on the cloth covered table to better smell the veiled magician chuckling behind it. 

“It seems she likes me.. Understandable, I have a familiar that’s very similar.” They hummed and scratched her chin gently before pulling her arm back. Their eyes shifted and landed on Asra’s, that seemed to dim more and more at every passing moment. “Would you care for a simple reading? From one magician to another.” They offered, hand swiping the deck onto the table. “After all, it seems you need some guidance yourself.”

Asra narrowed his eyes and his lips curled down. “What do you know about this?” His body tensed a little and voice tainted with a poisonous anger that threatened to explode and die off as quickly as it came. His hands gripped onto his pants, knuckles turning white as his mind raced with paranoia and despair. Crumbling little by little, both magicians could tell that Asra had little time left and he was starting to get a little desperate. But for what? He was unsure himself. Swallowing down the harshness of reality he bowed his head a little and his eyes returned to holding the sadness that have lingered since you left. “...My apologies,” Asra sighed out, “Please, give me the guidance of the cards.”

The magician before him seemed contempt, not minding Asra’s frustrated outburst. “A simple three card reading should suffice for what you’re going through.” They hummed softly and began mindlessly shuffling the cards, swaying a little as they did so.

Asra was no stranger to the intense connection between a magician and their cards, and only hoped they would have something insightful to say about the conundrum he had found himself in. His own fingers stroked the Magician at the top of his deck, finding comfort, however minimal, as he watched the magician split and place various cards face down in a pattern that was not familiar to his style, though knew it was just a stylistic choice. He felt his hand tug him softly, as if the arcane were guiding him already. His fingers caught onto the first two cards. Past and present. They felt strong as he passed them to the magician. There was only one left, though his hand felt as if it were being dragged to three distinctly different ones. 

A chill ran down Asra’s spine. Being pulled to three different future cards... He’s never felt a sensation like that before. His mouth was dry and his hand quivered a little, but he decidedly pulled one up from the three that called to him, handing it over to the magician. 

Their lips curled up as a wistful glaze passed over their eyes as they set up his chosen cards in the proper way they were received. “Let us hear the cards speak... Listen closely, or you might find yourself in a particularly precarious situation.” 


End file.
